OTH 88 283
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GROUTED AND MECHANICAL
STRENGTHENING AND REPAIR OF
TUBULAR STEEL OFFSHORE
STRUCTURES
Authors
R G Harwood & E P Shuttleworth
Wimpey Offshore Engineers & Constructors Ltd
27 Hammersmith Grove
Hammersmith, London, W6 7EN
Prepared for publication by
Techword Services
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Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP3 9SQ)
London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Department of Energy
Offshore Technology Report
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of Energy of work which has been wholly or in part supported by
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FOREWORD
This report is the final outcome of the Joint Industry Repairs Research Project, carried out by
Wimpey Offshore Engineers and Constructors Limited with funding from the following organisations:
Amoco (UK) Exploration Company
BP International Limited
Chevron Petroieum (UK) Limited
Conoco (UK) Limited
Hydrocarbons Great Britain Limited
Occidentai Petroleum (Caiedonia) Limited
Phillips Petroieum Company
Shell UK Exploration and Production
Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production)
UK Department of Energy.
The report is in five parts, corresponding to the five volumes of the original report:
Designers' Manual - Part I of this printed report
Engineering Assessment of Test Data - Part of this printed report except for the following,
which are included as microfiches in the back cover of this report:
- Tables and Figures of Section 11.4
- Appendix II.7A
- Appendix II.10A
- Appendix II.A
- Appendix II.6
Test Reports for Areas 1 to 5 - included as microfiches in the back cover of this report
Test Reports for Areas 6 to 11 - included as microfiches in the back cover of this report
Crack Data - included as microfiches in the back cover of this report.
The original five reports were prepared with the guidance of a Technical Steering Committee
comprising:
Marine Technology Support Unit
Dr J V Sharp (Chairman)
Wimpey Offshore Engineers & Constructors Limited
Mr N E Johnson (Secretary)
Amoco (UK) Exploration Company
Mr P E G O'Connor
BP International Limited
Mr D G M Eggar
Chevron Petroleum (UK) Limited
Mr V J Bromiey
Conoco (UK) Limited
Mr A Sen Gupta
Hydrocarbon Great Britain Limited
Mr D Brown
Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Limited
Mr M B Green
Phiiiips Petroleum Company
Mr R L Thomas
Sheii UK Exploration and Production
Mr R Hemming
Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production)
Mr D Bergez
Wimpey Offshore Engineers & Constructors Limited
Dr I E Tebbett (Project Manager)
Wlmpey
Offshore Engineers & Constructors Limited
(Principal
Mr R G Harwood
Wimpey Offshore Engineers & Constructors Limited.
Mr E P Shuttleworth
authors)
Use has been made of data from earlier projects which have been kindly made available by the
following organisations:
Conoco (UK) Limited
Occidental Petroieum (Caledonia) Limited
Shell BP and Todd Oil Services Limited
Wimpey Offshore Engineers and Constructors Limited
UK Department of Energy.
CONTENTS
Page
ix
SUMMARY
NOMENCLATURE
PART I DESIGNERS' MANUAL
1.1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. 1 General
1.1.2 The need for repair and strengthening
Use of the designers' manual
1.1.3
1.2
BACKGROUND TO THE DESIGNERS' MANUAL
1.2.1 General
1.2.2 Grouted connections
1.2.3
Grouted repairs
1.2.4 Mechanical and stressed grouted repairs
1.2.5 Grout-filled tubulars
1.2.6 Description of the Joint Industry Repairs Research Project
1.3
DESCRIPTION OF GROUTED AND MECHANICAL REPAIR SYSTEMS
1.3.1
General
1.3.2 Terminology
1.4
GROUTED CONNECTIONS
1.4.1
lntroduction and definitions
1.4.2
Applications
1.4.3 Factors affecting the strength of grouted connections
1.4.4 General recommendations
1.4.5 Static strength of a grouted connection
1.4.6 Ranges of application and other requirements
1.4.7
Permissible working stress
1.4.8 Safety factors
1.4.9 Applied stresses
1.4.1 0 Fatigue
1.4.11 Movements during grouting
1.5
GROUTED CLAMPS
1.5.1
lntroduction and definitions
1.5.2
Applications
1.5.3 Factors affecting strength
1.5.4 Fatigue
1.5.5 Applied stresses
1.5.6
Safety factors
MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS
1.6.1 lntroduction and definitions
1.6.2 Applications
1.6.3 Factors affecting the strength of mechanical connections
1.6.4 General recommendations
1.6.5 Static coefficient of friction for mechanical connections
1.6.6 Ranges of applicability and other requirements
1.6.7 Permissible working loads
1.6.8 Safety factors
1.6.9 Applied loads
1.6.10 Fatigue
1.6.11 Studbolt load attenuation
MECHANICAL CLAMPS
1.7.1
lntroduction and definitions
1.7.2
Applications
Factors
affecting the strength of mechanical clamps
1.7.3
1.7.4 Fatigue
1.7.5 Applied stresses
1.7.6 Safety factors
STRESSED GROUTED CONNECTIONS
1.8.1 lntroduction and definitions
1.8.2
Applications
1.8.3 Factors affecting the strength of stressed grouted connections
1.8.4 General recommendations
Static strength of a stressed grouted connection
1.8.5
1.8.6 Ranges of application and other requirements
1.8.7
Permissible working loads
1.8.8 Safety factors
1.8.9 Applied loads
1.8.1 0 Fatigue
1.8.1 1 Studbolt load attenuation
STRESSED GROUTED CLAMPS
1.9.1 lntroduction and definitions
1.9.2 Applications
1.9.3 Factors affecting strength
1.9.4 Fatigue
1.9.5
Applied stresses
1.9.6
Safety factors
1.10
GROUT FILLED TUBULAR MEMBERS
1.10.1 lntroduction and definition
1.10.2 Applications
1.10.3 Factors affecting the strength of grout filled tubular members
1.10.4 General recommendations
1.1 0.5 Range of application
1.10.6 Determination of ultimate capacity of a grout filled tubular
Permissible working loads and safety factors
Applied loads
Heat generation
1.11 GROUT MATERIALS AND GROUTING PROCEDURES FOR GROUTED REPAIRS
1.11.1 Materials
1.11.2 Assessment of compliance of grout strength
1.11.3 Offshore oractices
1.12
BASIC INFORMATION ON TUBULAR JOINTS
1.12.1 Static strength
1.12.2 Stress concentration factors
1.13
ADDITIONAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1.1 3.1 Introduction
1.13.2 Bolting systems
1.13.3 Sealing systems
1.13.4 Cathodic protection
1.13.5 Inspection
1.13.6 Additional loading
1.13.7 Wetwelding
REFERENCES - PART I
PART II ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT OF TEST DATA
II.1
INTRODUCTION
.II.2
SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS WORK
II.2.1
General
I I . 2 . 2 Grouted connections
II.2.3
Grouted clamps
II.2.4
Mechanical connections and clamps
Stressed grouted connections and clamps
II.2.5
II.2.6
Grout filled tubulars
11.3
THE JOINT INDUSTRY REPAIRS RESEARCH PROJECT
DATASHEET 1 . 1
DATASHEET 1.2
DATASHEET 1 .3
DATASHEET 1.4wb
DATASHEET 1.4st
DATASHEET 1.5
DATASHEET 2
DATASHEET 3
DATASHEET 4
DATASHEET 5
DATASHEET 6
DATASHEET 7
DATASHEET 8
DATASHEET 9
DATASHEET 10
DATASHEET 11
GROUTED CONNECTIONS
II.4.1
lntroduction
Factors affecting a grouted connection's strength and behaviour
II.4.2
Assessment of grouted connections data for repair
II.4.3
GROUTED CLAMPS
II.5.1
Definitions
II.5.2
Applications
II.5.3
Factors affecting strength
II.5.4
Fatigue
II.5.5 Applied stresses
II.5.6 Safety factors
MECHANICAL CONNECTIONS
II.6.1 lntroduction
Factor affecting a mechanical connection's strength and behaviour
II.6.2
II.6.3 Flat plate friction tests
II.6.4
Limits of application of generalised formula for mechanical connections
II.6.5 Safety factors
MECHANICAL CLAMPS
II.7.1
Definitions
II.7.2
Applications
II.7.3
Factors affecting strength
II.7.4
Fatigue
II.7.5
Applied stresses
II.7.6
Safety factors
Appendix II.7.A Studbolt load losses due to top plate bending
STRESSED GROUTED CONNECTIONS
II.8.1
lntroduction
Factors affecting the strength and behaviour of stressed grouted connections
II.8.2
II.8.3
Generalised equation for the static coefficient of friction for a stressed
grouted connection
Limits of application of the generalised formula for stressed grouted connections
II.8.4
II.8.5 Safety factors
STRESSED GROUTED CLAMPS
II.9.1
Definitions
II.9.2
Applications
II.9.3
Factors affecting strength
II.9.4
Fatigue
II.9.5 Applied
stresses
..
II.9.6
Safety factors
224
- vii -
11.10 GROUT FILLED TUBULAR MEMBERS
11.10.1 Introduction
11.10.2 Factors affecting the strength of grout filled tubular members
11.10.3 Design curves
Appendix I I.10.A Example calculation
REFERENCES - PART II
APPENDIX II.A INVESTIGATION INTO WELDING UNDERWATER
APPENDIX II.B FASTENER SYSTEMS
- viii -
SUMMARY
This document is the outcome of the Joint Industry Repairs Research Project (JIRRP), funded by the
UK Department of Energy and nine oil companies. The research carried out investigated the static
strength and fatigue performance of grouted and mechanical connections and clamps of the types
used to strengthen or repair underwater tubular steel members. The repairs may be needed as a
result of fatigue damage, increased code requirements, damage from ship impacts, etc.
Data from the research and from other sources has been assimilated and used in the compilation of
Part I of the document, the 'Designers' manual'. In general the factors addressed for each type of
underwater repair include:
its applications
factors affecting its strength
general recommendations
static strength
ranges of application
permissible working loads
safety factors
applied loads
* fatigue.
The concluding chapters of the manual describe grouting materials and procedures and other
relevant considerations in the design of repairs, such as boiting and sealing systems, CP, inspection
and wet welding.
An experienced and competent engineer should find the manual of considerable benefit in designing
a specific repair and justifying the design to the regulatory authorities. However, each repair is unique
and the manual does not give standard solutions to standard problems.
Part II of the document is a more detailed 'Engineering assessment of test data' in which the factors
affecting the strength and behaviour of each type of clamp or connection are discussed in more
detail.
The microfiches at the back of the document contain the remaining three parts of the original JIRRP
report:
Part III - Test reports from Areas 1-5
Part IV - Test reports from Areas 6-1 1
Part V - Crack data.
PART l
DESIGNERS' MANUAL
I.1 INTRODUCTION
I.1 .1 General
This manual is intended to provide designers with some basic information obtained from specific
laboratory tests concerning grouted and mechanical repair systems. The design formulae and other
information provided here and in the microfiches is the product of a comprehensive research project
on grouted and mechanical strengthening and repair systems carried out between 1982 and 1984 at
Wimpey Laboratories with funding from nine oil companies and the UK Department of Energy. The
design methods and formulae presented also draw on test work carried out prior to 1982 on an ad
hoc basis for oil companies and the UK Department of Energy.
The use of grouted and mechanical repair systems in both underwater and splash-zone applications
has increased dramatically in recent years. This has been due to the increased number of repairs
being effected as designers and operators recognise the cost effectiveness of grouted and
mechanical repairs and the availibility of test data describing their performance. This document
represents a major step forward in the assimilation of test data into a format which can readily be
used in both the design of a repair and in the justification of the design to regulatory authorities.
It should be noted that all repairs are unique. This is because of the wide range of reasons for repair
and strengthening, the many different structural configurations, member sizes and joint details, and
the physical constraints of access to different water depths and different parts of the structure. For
this reason this designers' manual cannot give a standard solution for a particular problem. It is
recommended that the designer of a repair or strengthening systems should be familiarised with
recent projects and techniques before making judgements on the efficacy of particular systems.
Although there is no standard repair scheme, it is possible to recognise the following components
within the various grouted and mechanical repair schemes that have already been employed and are
defined below:
-
GROUTED CONNECTION
A connection between two concentric tubulars formed by the injection of a cemetitious material
into the annulur space between the tubulars. Unless specifically stated the outer tubular is
taken to be continuous in the circumferential direction.
GROUTED CLAMP
A clamp in which the outer sleeve is formed in two or more segments which are placed around
an existing tubular joint. The splits are closed by pre-tightened bolts prior to the injection of a
cementitious material into the annulur space between the clamp and the existing tubular joints.
MECHANICAL CONNECTION
A connection formed between two concentric tubulars relying for load transfer on the friction
capacity of the interface between the two tubulars. The outer tubular will be formed from two or
more segments which are stressed together to generate a force normal to the friction surface.
MECHANICAL CLAMP
A clamp in which the outer sleeve is formed in two or more segments which are placed around
an existing tubular joint. The clamp body will be formed from two or more segments which are
stressed together to provide the load path in the clamp.
STRESSED GROUTED CONNECTION
A connection formed between two concentric tubulars. The outer tubular is formed in two or
more segments. Cementitious material is placed into the annular space between the tubulars
and allowed to reach a predefined strength prior to the application of an external stressing
force normal to the steel-grout interface.
STRESSED GROUTED CLAMP
A clamp in which the outer sleeve is formed in two or more segments which are placed around
an existing tubular joint. Cementitious material is placed into the annular space between the
clamp and the existing tubular joint and allowed to reach a predefined strength prior to the
application of an external stressing force normal to the steel-grout interface.
* GROUT FILLED TUBULAR
A tubular which has been filled with a cementitious material
A clamp is distinct from a connection in that it is used to repair or strengthen a tubular joint within an
existing structure by providing an alternative parallel load path, whilst a connection is a device for
joining concentric tubular members together.
The design of a clamp will involve the following:
1. design of the connections which transmit a proportion of the load in the incoming brace
members into the clamp
2. design of the joints to transmit the loads between the brace and chord members of the clamp
and existing joint
3. design of the connections which retransmit the clamp loading back into the chord member of
the existing joint.
For an illustration of these distinctions see Figure I.1 .l
All the above design components have been studied within the Joint lndustry Repairs Research
Project and are addressed within individual sections of this manual.
This part is one of five volumes which represent the final report of the Joint lndustry Repairs
Research Project. The full list of volumes is:
Volume I - Designers' manual (printed here as Part I)
Volume II - Engineering assessment of test data (printed here as Part II)
8 Volume Ill - Test reports for Areas 1 to 5 (see microfiches)
0 Volume IV - Test reports for Areas 6 to 11 (see microfiches)
e Volume V - Crack depth measurement and propogation data (Areas 7 to 9) (see
microfiches).
1.1.2 The need for repair and strengthening
This section identifies the major causes leading to a requirement for repair and strengthening of
tubular steel offshore structures and draws on experience gained in the North Sea and other similarly
harsh environments on a world-wide basis.
Fatigue
The design of the early jackets in the North Sea was heavily dependent on experience in the Gulf of
Mexico and elsewhere. In general these designs have been found unable to withstand the incessant
wave loadings of the North Sea and most structures, or some component of them, have required
fatigue damage to be repaired, or have needed to be strengthened to prevent anticipated damage.
Fatigue damage typically takes the form of cracks at the end of horizontal members where they
frame into the main structure.
Increased code requirements
Since the 1960s, following the assimilation of fresh environmental data, the wave loads which
regulations require offshore installations to withstand have increased - dramatically in some
respects. On occasion it has been found necessary to upgrade the structural performance of jackets
to meet the new requirements, or to meet other requirements subsequently introduced by the owners
of the jacket.
Ship impacts
Damage is also caused by shipping. Personnel transfer in the North Sea is now almost exclusively by
helicopter. Regular transfer by boat has proved impossible because of the sea states in the North
Sea and much damage was caused by ship impact before platform operators started to use
helicopters. Ship impacts still occur as vessels are used to transport equipment and supplies, but the
vessels can stand further off the platforms whilst the goods are taken aboard by cranes. Damage
caused by ship impacts typically takes the form of bent or buckled members, although on occasion
entire members have been ripped out.
impact by debris
Objects are sometimes dropped overboard causing damage to the jacket on their way to the seabed. The most serious damage has been caused during the installation of jackets or during other
erection work. An entire bridge intended to link two platforms has been dropped, and heavy offshore
piles have been lost on more than one occasion.
The reader is referred to Reference 1 .l for a more detailed review of repairs that have been carried
out on North Sea structures.
1.1.3 Use of the designers' manual
The design methods and formulae given here and later in this report provide the designer with the
means to design the individual components of some repair schemes such as clamps or connections.
It is not intended that this document should provide the designer with guidance on the form of specific
repair schemes since each repair problem is unique. The choice of whether to clamp an understrength joint locally or to introduce extra members into the structure, thereby changing the load path
around the understrength joint, is one that should be made with full knowledge of the platform
geometry and loading regime and should be such as to give maximum benefit to the structure as a
whole. It is at this early stage that proper consideration should be given to the extra loads that will be
attracted by the repair scheme; these loads would be used at a later stage in the design of the
individuai components.
Extra loads which should be considered would typically include:
1. environmental loads due to increased projected area and weight of components for wave
impingement and higher drag coefficients due to non tubular fabrication
2. framing loads due to changes in load paths and increased local stiffness due to clamps.
Within the individual sections of this manual giving the design methods and formulae, ranges of
application are given which reflect the geometries tested and the designer should not exceed these
limits except where guidance is given in the text on how this may be achieved without loss of
conservatism.
LOADS
BRACE MEMBER
UBULAR JOINT
2. JOINT IN
BRACE CONNECTION
,-
\
L---
Figure 1.1.1
~
Distinction between clamps and connections
~~
CLAMP
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE
SIGNERS' MANUAL
I.2.1 General
This designers' manual has been made possible by:
the recognition that grouted and mechanical repairs can offer major advantages in cost and
timescale
* the existence of rationaliy based design formulae for axially loaded grouted connections
supported by test data
* the generation of a basic database under U K Department of Energy funding on grouted repairs
* the availability of the results of some ad hoc testing programmes carried out to justify the
design of some repairs installed before the existence of this manual
* the data collected under the Joint Industry Repairs Research Project
* experience gained by the autliors in the design and execution of actuai repairs, many of which
have been undertaken in parallel with all the development work leading to this manual.
1.2.2 Grouted connections
The majority of steel offshore structures are founded on tubular piles, which are generally driven
through tubular sleeves attached to the lower part oi the main legs of the structure or through the
main legs. The annulus between pile and sieeve is then filled with cement grout to form the
permanent connection between the structure and its foundation, The strength of this connection
depends upon many parameters and is generally defined in terms of an equivaien! bond strength
(obtained by dividing the load transmitted by the nominal surface area of the groutipile interface).
The current design method is based primarily on static strength considerations and uses formulae
derived from test data. Data are now available on the fatigue performance of grouted connections
and it is therefore now possible to address fatigue design.
The first design guidance provided for grouted connections was given by early editions of API RP2A.
A single figure of permissible bond stress was given for plain pipe grouted connections which was
based on rest data from reiativeiy small diameter specimens. The development of a capability to
install larger piles to meet the demand of larger structures in the North Sea led in the early 1970's to
an investigation of the static strength of large diameter grouted connections. This showed that plain
pipe connections of the type and length envisaged could not provide sufficient load transfer capacity;
shear connectors in the form of circumferential or spiral weld beads were placed on the steel
surfaces in contact with the grout to provide additional capacity and tests were carried out to validate
the design.
Further ad hoc tests were carried out between 1975 and 1978 for oil companies wishing to solve
particular design problems. Whiist these tests were usefui in establishing the parameters which affect
static strength, the accumulated data did not cover all aspects of the problem and the results could
not be used to formulate rationally based design recommendations giving consistent levels of safety.
A detailed programme of research was therefore formulated and undertaken with funding from the
UK Department of Energy.
The UK Department of Energy project consisted of five phases:
Static strength tests
Phase l
Phase II Early age cyclic loading tests
Phase Ill Long term fatigue tests
Phase IV Measurement of grout compressive strengths
Phase V Tests on connections recovered from West Sole.
Much of the information used to generate the design formulae given in this manual has been derived
from this important project and the results and findings of the work are taken into account in Part 2.